Reutersreportsthat mobile security threats are creating big business not only
for traditional anti-virus players such as McAfee and Norton, but also carriers
like France Telecom and handset manufacturers like Nokia.

"The
mobile security market will one day be bigger than that of computers,"
Index Ventures Co-Founder Neil Rimer is quoted as saying at the Reuters Global
Technology Summit. "It's a no-brainer that people will pay to protect
their devices, and the market will not be owned by one big player."

In fact,
according to the report, market research firm Infonetics predicts mobile
security software to grow by 50 percent each year over the course of the next
three years, eventually becoming a $2-billion industry.

While
malware and other hacks threaten all platforms, Android particularly felt the
pain in March whena
Trojan infected more than a quarter of a million consumer's devices. A
study by Juniper Networks found that malware threats on Android quadrupled in
the six-month period from June 2010 to January 2011, while the threat on all
mobile devices doubled.

And even
the carriers have begun to cash in. "Operators are very interested in
offering security as a service to their customers as a way to generate revenue
and promote customer retention," Sean Obrey toldReuters. Obrey is the head
operator of business development at F-Secure, a mobile security specialty
company that provides "anti-virus software and anti-theft protection"
to smartphone users through approximately 40 telecom operators. The protection
packages F-Secure offers can run anywhere from 5 to 10 euros per month.

While
France Telecom (more commonly known as its service brand Orange) pre-packages
security solutions on phones in Britain and offers paid security solutions for
3 to 9 euros to its French customers, AT&T is making plans to offer its
customers security software in the U.S. But it may prove
challenging.

"When
you start asking [customers] what's your willingness to pay for a solution, if
they're not a little frightened, their willingness to pay is nothing," added
AT&T's Head of Enterprise Business, John Stankey.

It will
likely take a major virus that affects a larger swath of users before consumers
are willing to pay for mobile security solutions.

In the
meantime, the best practice to avoid becoming a victim of mobile malware is to
use common sense. Don't install or download anything from an untrusted source.
Don't install an app or program that looks suspicious or sounds too good to be
true. Do your research on an app or app developer before installing. Don't
access personal information while connected to an open wireless network. Anyone
who follows these rules can avoid becoming a victim of mobile hacks without
having to shell out any more money to telecoms and software companies.

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This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled

That's why I decided to go back to basic cell phone without any of those smart phones features. While smart phones are useful, they have become a money pit that you have to pay all kinds of features and then paying more to protect your phone.

I understand not everyone today can live without able to instant access to everything immediately but that's the choice if you want your phone to turn into a money pit and security risk.